Jacksonville Jaguars won’t pursue Greg Hardy
By Luke Sims
The Jacksonville Jaguars will not be pursuing defensive lineman Greg Hardy per a league source.
Mike DiRocco at ESPN writes that the Jacksonville Jaguars will not pursue defensive lineman Greg Hardy per a league source.
This comes after news broke that the Jags had worked out Hardy after whiffing on some big time free agent options this offseason.
It’s no secret that the Jaguars need help in the pass rush. While there have been major additions at defensive tackle, safety, cornerback, and linebacker this offseason, the defensive end position – especially head coach Gus Bradley’s pass rushing “leo” role – went largely unaddressed, placing more pressure on second-year player Dante Fowler Jr. (who didn’t play as a rookie) and 2016 draft selection Yannick Ngakoue.
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It will be interesting to see how the two young players perform in their first season. Still, the pressure is mounting on them and there is not a veteran mentor on the Jags roster who has proven success rushing the passer and can guide them to become top-flight pass rushers.
Someone like Hardy, whose talent is nearly unquestioned, would be able to provide some of that guidance.
Still, it is wise of the Jags to avoid Hardy. He is a distraction at a minimum and would hurt the culture the team has cultivated over the last couple of seasons.
Hopefully Hardy finds a way to turn his life around after his domestic violence issues over the last couple of seasons, but he won’t be doing so with the Jags. The Jags have a fragile foundation right now but it looks like things are coming together. Jeopardizing that for Hardy would be a mistake.